


Breaking Soil

by Frozenstep



Category: Sleepless Domain (Webcomic)
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:35:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26000509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frozenstep/pseuds/Frozenstep
Summary: A follow-up to chapter 13 (Fertilizer),  Rue reflects on the events of the previous night, while Zoe stresses out about calling Rue.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 16





	1. Seeds planted

_Two more hours._

Rue glanced up from her desk to check the clock on her bedroom wall. It was almost eight, still two more hours until the inner barrier went up. She let out a tired sigh, turning away from the homework she had been miserably working on. Her wooden chair squeaked a little as she shifted, her muscles protesting and stiff. Leaning back on her chair, she found a position that took the pressure off her sore muscles. Not exactly great for finishing her homework, but maybe she could just savor this for a moment.

A surprised shout came from outside her bedroom, followed by the sound of heavy footfalls rushing to the kitchen. Rue considered getting up to check out what was going on but decided she didn’t feel like moving right now. There was always something going on in this house and it was exhausting keeping up.

“Rue!” Her mother’s voice came through the door, causing Rue to sigh. Just when had gotten comfortable, too. “Rue, Dill just said his first word!”

“Mooom, I’m busy with homework here!” Rue called back through the door.

“Just come out for a moment to see-” Her mother suddenly cut herself off. “What do you think you’re doing…” Her voice trailed off as she stomped towards the kitchen, her attention apparently on someone else, probably Rue’s younger sister. Rue breathed a sigh of relief; it seems she was saved. For now, at least. It was only a matter of time before she got bothered by someone else.

Growing up with a large family wasn’t something that quite suited Rue. Not that she resented them or anything, but she needed space, time to breath. There were too many people in her life that needed too much attention. In a way, the four hours of monster fighting each night almost felt like a break. Sure, it was physically exhausting and often left her bruised and aching, but it was her **me** time. No bothersome people pestering her, no annoying assignments and chores looming over her. Just her, the monsters, and one satisfying explosion after another. She wouldn’t have it any other way.

_Sharp teeth… around her head… closing in… sinking into her-_

Her breath caught. She blinked, trying to put the image out of her mind, when suddenly she felt her balance shift, as her chair leaned back a little too far. She was tipping, falling-

_The force of the explosion rocking her- the light of it briefly blinding her- her heart skipping beats as she tumbled and fell- absolute panic, arms flailing, blindly trying to grasp for **anything** -_

Rue barely managed to grab the edge of her desk, pulling hard, tipping the chair and herself forward at the last moment. There was a sharp sound as the front legs of her chair hit the ground and the impact rattled her. Her breaths came out in frantic puffs, her other hand pressed against her pounding heart. A cold sweat washed over, making her shudder in the seat. For a few seconds she just sat there, shaking and trying to take deeper breaths.

_I’m scared._

Rue shivered. She was no stranger to the risk of being a solo, but she couldn’t deny last night had shaken her. Cornered in an alleyway, woozy from her healing potion, with no room to safely blast her way out. Another second, and she would have thrown her explosive, and at best would have been knocked unconscious right next to a monster ready to kill her. It was chilling to think about, and her hands clenched nervously at the thought of going out again tonight.

_Only two more hours until I have to-_

Rue shut her eyes. She didn’t owe it to anyone to go out and fight. Even her parents would be happier if she stayed home, rather then going out alone. But responsibility was never the reason she went out for patrols. She fought because she needed the time and space away from everyone and everything that could bother her. It was a time where she could really let go of it all, and just relax her mind a little and be comfortable. It really helped her deal with a lot of the things going on in her life.

But…could she really be relaxed out there, after what happened last night? Usually she looked forward to patrol, even with the scrapes and bruises, but now it felt like she would have to force herself to go out again.

As soon as she admitted that to herself, Rue froze. A new, unpleasant feeling in her throat made her swallow, as she stared blankly at her wall. If going out was going to be stressful and scary from now on…where in her day was her chance to breath? Would everyday just be non-stop stress? She…she wasn’t sure she could deal with that, and-

Rue realized her breathing had gotten erratic again. Taking another deep breath, she steeled herself. She was just a little shaken tonight. This would pass. Soon, she told herself, soon she’d be back to normal, maybe a little more careful.

But jeez, she really hoped Zoe would call already.

She got out of her chair, slowly drifting to her bed and flopping down on top of it. She had been so very lucky that Zoe had shown up when she did. But on top of likely saving Rue's life, Zoe had then proceeded to bail her out of two more awkward social situations. She barely knew anything about Zoe, but that girl had her back. 

Zoe had so quickly gotten into her good books she’d almost think it was some kind of conspiracy, if it wasn’t for how convoluted and silly that would be. No matter what anyone said, she wasn’t a conspiracy theorist grasping at any idea put in front of her. She just saw what should have been obvious if people didn’t blindly trust the government so much. Although for some reason she felt like blaming her teacher, Miss Cable, for all this. That teacher was always trying to set up people who she thought could be friends to meet, sometimes in really strange ways, like she thought they were in some kind of story or something.

But that aside, the idea of someone else having her back out there on patrol was a comforting, tempting thought. The thought of someone else intruding on her alone time made her hesitate, but Zoe so far had proven to be pleasant. As strange as it was for her to be thinking this, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to work with someone out there. She had once told her parents that a girl’s powers said something about them, and that her own powers were saying _I can handle this, so give me some space._ But as she considered the events of last night, and remembered the burns from the first rooftop explosion, she considered maybe her powers had another message. _If I don’t have a little support, I’m going to hurt myself._

That was a little uncomfortable to think about, so she turned her thoughts back to Zoe. She flipped over on the bed to lie on her back and considered what she knew about the gray-haired girl. She was registered but didn’t seem to be in it for the money or fame. Rather, she seemed to fight because she thought it was her responsibility or something. Clearly the girl had some issues, but her heart was in the right place, and Rue hoped her words last night had helped Zoe realize that. On top of that, though, Zoe hadn’t pressured her into registering, even when the conversation steered very close to it. She wasn’t sure yet, but she felt like Zoe wasn’t one of those girls completely sold on the government’s idea of a magical girl. Maybe, just maybe this could work out. Maybe she could still have her chance to breath. 

That is, if Zoe called. Rue didn’t have Zoe’s number, so it was on the shy girl to be the one to reach out. It was getting late, and Rue was starting to worry. Zoe had been nervous about being a bother by calling. A chuckle escaped Rue’s lips. If only she knew how much of a bother she was being by not calling!

_One hour and 55 minutes left…come on Zoe, please call…_


	2. Germination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zoe's side, as she considers whether to call Rue or not.

Last night, Zoe had finally done it. She had fought a monster for the first time and saved someone’s life in the process. It still felt unreal that she had actually done all those things. All throughout her school day she had been distracted, thinking only about the people she was going to call after school and what she was going to say to them.

The day flew by fast, and soon Zoe found herself sitting alone in her living room, curled up on the couch and talking with her sister, Ariana, over the phone. Zoe’s voice was equal parts nervous and excited as she shared her version of the events of last night. Her sister remained quiet as soon as she started, only giving verbal nods throughout.

“And then she started laughing, and…and I thought she was laughing at me…but then she collapsed! I couldn’t wake her up, so I brought her to the safety center. And then I…” Zoe hesitated for a moment, quickly debating on what to include. “Uh…I stayed to make sure she was okay. She woke up after the barrier reset, and I walked her home just in case. And then...and then…I went home...” She ended awkwardly, shifting back into the couch.

“Zoe…” At the sound of her sister’s voice, Zoe perked up. “…just…that’s amazing! That was so brave of you! I couldn’t be prouder, you’re a real hero!”

The sheer pride in her sister’s voice…a smile broke out over Zoe’s face. The past few weeks had been so difficult on Zoe, and she had spent so much of it feeling like the dream had been wasted on her. But last night had changed everything…and only now, with her sister’s voice in her ears, could she really feel like it was really happening.

“-So glad to hear you’re figuring it all out, I know you’ve had to adjust to so much, but then you go and do something like this! You should tell Mom and Dad, they’ll be so happy to hear it!” Ariana continued to rave. 

“Y-yeah!” Zoe offered. Her smile couldn’t be controlled at this point. For the first time, it felt like things might actually work out after all. “I…thank you.”

“I knew you had it in you, Zoe. Your first night out, and you’re already doing great!”

Zoe’s stomach twisted. She had said it was her first time fighting, but she had left the fact that it wasn’t her first time going out unsaid. She had left a lot of things unsaid, she realized with a start. Like the fact that she had spent weeks going out and doing nothing but watch others fight. Or that when Rue had been in trouble, Zoe had hesitated for a few seconds, even when it seemed clear the green-haired girl needed help. And even after saving Rue, the main reason Zoe had stayed to watch over Rue was because Zoe was too nervous to go back out for patrol. It felt…wrong to be called brave in the light of all that.

“It…it wasn’t…” Zoe’s word faltered, but she forced herself to get the words out. “I wasn’t brave...”

“Huh?”

“I was…scared.” Zoe admitted, slowly and painfully. “Of fighting. I’ve been going out for weeks…and only last night…”

“Oh. Zoe…I’m sorry, I misunderstood.” Her sister gently interrupted. “But Zoe, it’s okay! Everyone is nervous when they’re starting out. And…it’s normal to feel scared sometimes. You still saved someone, right? That’s what really matters.”

_You’ve officially saved one person. No sense sweating the other stuff._

Zoe paused, Rue’s words echoing Ariana’s. They were both right, but that didn’t mean… “I…I know, it was good, but…it wasn’t brave! I was so scared…”

“Zoe, even if you were scared, you still took action. That’s all it takes to be brave.” Her sister assured. “You think I wasn’t scared when I saved team sailor? From that crocodile monster?”

“Wait, really?” Zoe exclaimed. That was probably her sister’s most famous fight, Zoe had watched it a dozen times. It had been so perfect, with her sister jumping in from above to protect team sailor’s cameraman, who got a perfect shot as Ariana gracefully dodged the monster’s snapping jaws over and over. The final shot with Ariana standing over the defeated foe, slowly turning to the camera with the perfect pose and smile had become iconic. “You were scared during that?”

“I was! I’m just…good at putting up a brave face when there’s a camera around.” Her sister admitted, stunning Zoe. “But it didn’t matter if I felt scared. All that mattered to that cameraman was the fact that I was brave enough to step in and help in the first place. Zoe, even if you felt scared, you still acted when the time came. That’s what counts, okay? That’s courage.”

It was a shock to hear her sister admit she had ever been afraid. Ariana had always seemed so fearless, but maybe that was just the marketing. Maybe…maybe Zoe had been too hard on herself. It felt odd, to think of herself as brave when she had been so scared. But maybe her sister was right. “I…thank you, sis.” Zoe finally said.

“No problem, my brave little sister.” Ariana asserted, and Zoe blushed, a smile returning to her face. “So, I’ve been meaning to ask…have you given any thought to joining or making a team?”

“I…I wasn’t sure…” Zoe admitted. Until last night, she was sure she was going to stay solo, just so she wouldn’t be forcing anyone else to deal with her issues. Now though…

“You said that girl you saved didn’t have a team, right? What’s her name? Did you talk with her?” Her sister pressed.

“Uh, yes! Her name is Rue. I talked with her a little... She seemed nice. And she told me she could show me the ropes if I wanted…” Zoe explained nervously. “You think I should call her…?”

“Yes! Absolutely, that’s a classic team-up offer. You haven’t called her yet? Did you talk to her at school today?” her sister asked excitedly.

“oh, uh…she isn’t registered…” Zoe explained absently as she checked the time.

“Oh…” There was a short pause. “Did she just not register yet for some reason?”

“Uhm…she seemed like she didn’t want to be registered…?” Zoe admitted. Zoe hadn’t asked why, but Rue had seemed very much against the idea.

“Oh...” There was a longer pause this time, and Zoe shifted nervously in her seat, unsure what this was about. Suddenly she felt like she had shared something private by accident.

“…Sis?” Zoe asked nervously.

“Zoe…” Her sister seemed to hesitate. “I think it’d be better if you tried to find someone from Future’s Promise to team up with instead.”

“Huh? ...but…why…?” Zoe began to object, but couldn’t find the words she wanted.

“Trust me Zoe, unregistered girls…aren’t going out for the same reasons as you are. When you’re working with a team, especially for a long time, everyone needs to be on the same page.” Her sister explained sternly. “Otherwise…it’ll eventually lead to a problem coming up.”

“I’m not sure I get it…” Zoe said. While she didn’t know Rue that well, she couldn’t think of a reason why Rue being unregistered would make a difference.

“It…it happened to me.” Ariana said. Zoe shifted uncomfortably as her sister’s tone changed. There was something…bitter in it. “…When I was just starting out, I patrolled with an unregistered friend of mine as a duo.”

Zoe sat up. She knew about this, but her sister and the media hardly ever talked about Ariana’s first duo team. She didn’t even know the name of Ariana’s ex-teammate, it was before her sister was popular. She had never realized that girl wasn’t registered.

“We had been friends before we had the dream, but she didn’t register because she hated the attention. I didn’t think it would be a problem at the time. But then…I started to get more popular, and I got an opportunity to really build my future. If things went well, I could put myself and you through college.” Her sister reminisced. “But…it caused a big fight between me and Belle. She said I was selling out, being selfish by making her uncomfortable, and trying to drag her to do something she never wanted. Things got…really bad between us, and we stopped talking entirely.”

“I…I’m sorry, I never knew…” Zoe said, gently. There was pain in her sister’s voice. It scared Zoe a little, but she could see why. Losing a friend over something like this…

“It’s okay, it’s been years. Anyway, I’ve heard plenty of other stories from friends about why working with unregistered girls is a bad idea. A lot of them don’t take being a magical girl seriously and flake out on patrol, or they get bored and start causing trouble. There’s also some more…political reasons why some don’t register.” Her sister explained seriously. “Zoe, I’m not saying Rue is a bad person, just…I just don’t want something to come up later and hurt you, okay? It would be better to focus on finding someone from Future’s Promise as soon as possible.”

Zoe’s response was level and clear, even though inside she felt conflicted and confused. “Okay sis, I’ll do my best.”

“I know you’ll do great, Zoe.” Her sister said, with a relieved tone.

Zoe’s mind drifted as they started talking about other things. How Claire and Alex were doing, a little more about her powers, and so on. The conversation starting winding down as they discussed their schoolwork, and finally they said their last goodbyes and hung up.

For a minute Zoe just sat there in the living room next to the hung-up phone. She couldn’t recall a time where she had talked to her sister about something and left feeling less sure about what to do. She had called her sister partially to ask her what she should do about calling Rue. But…she had not gotten the answer she wanted.

Getting up, Zoe walked towards her bedroom, mind still drifting. For Zoe, the idea of ignoring her sister’s advice was nearly unthinkable. But…she had really wanted to call Rue. She had felt like she was just on the verge of something new. If she went out now, alone, would she really be able to fight?

But what if her sister had a point? Maybe things seemed nice now, but eventually something would come up and cause a problem? She didn’t really know Rue that well. She seemed nice, but what if they ended up arguing over something? The idea of being on a team that was falling apart was a scary one. Maybe she should just trust her sister.

But could she really find a team at Future’s Promise? It felt like…that might take a while. And until then…she wasn’t sure she could bring herself to fight again. Would any team take someone useless like her? Zoe paced back and forth in her room.

By the time her father announced that dinner was ready, Zoe didn’t feel any closer to an answer. She ate quietly, and returned to her room, sitting on her bed. She grabbed her stuffed pangolin doll, bringing it to her lap. The room felt a lot emptier now that Alex and Claire were no longer staying here, their family had found a new apartment after about a week and had chosen to move. They said that going back to where they had been attacked was too much. Zoe couldn’t blame them, she hoped they were coping okay. 

Claire would probably be alright. It had been a frightening event, but Claire had somehow channeled it into more adoration for magical girls. She had spent hours asking about everything even remotely related. The shriek of delight the young girl had made when she realized Zoe was already friends with Undine was unforgettable. It reminded Zoe so much of herself a few years back, although Claire was more enamored with the idea of magical girls in general rather than just one person.

Zoe clutched the pangolin tighter. She hadn’t deserved Claire’s adoration. She wasn’t like Ariana. Zoe hadn’t even fought the entire time Claire was staying with them. Maybe she didn’t even deserve it now. Claire would have been over the moon to hear that she had fought and saved someone last night, but she could almost hear the disappointed boo she’d give if Zoe told her she wasn’t going to team up with Rue, or that she was going back to not fighting.

Putting the pangolin aside, Zoe turned her thoughts to Alex. Alex had noticeably improved by the time he left, but his opinion on fighting had remained the same. If anything, as his personality seemed to recover, he had more energy to argue against Zoe going out. On the last day before her cousin’s family moved out, Alex had pleaded with Zoe not to fight.

_“I’m just…worried. Even you’re still scared of fighting when you go out. No one is telling you to fight. Can’t you just stay safe, and leave it to someone else?”_

It had been difficult to listen to the fear in Alex’s voice and deny him. Maybe, Zoe might have listened, if she hadn’t had Undine on her mind at the time.

_“…Undine went through so much. But she…she kept fighting. I…I asked her why, and she told me…she’d regret the alternative more. I didn’t understand back then. But if she hadn’t kept fighting, you and the others would have been…” Zoe looked away uncomfortably. Alex seemed to deflate. “If that happened to someone else because I wasn’t there…”_

_“But does it have to be you? There’s so many others out there…would one more really make a difference?”_

Yes, apparently, it did make a difference. Zoe got up off her bed, looking out her window. She’d already made a difference. She had spent weeks going out, putting herself at risk even if she didn’t fight, when she could have stayed home, safe. But then she would have left Rue to get hurt, or…

…She definitely would have regretted that alternative more.

The streetlights outside suddenly blinked on, startling Zoe. Outside, people glanced up at the lights, then seemed to quicken their pace. For Zoe, it was a reminder that she was running out of time. Even calling now would feel pretty late, and she hadn’t even decided yet. What would she regret more?

_I want to be someone strong enough to help other people._

Zoe closed her eyes. She was…tired, of going out and just watching others. Even if her sister was right, that eventually a conflict would come up, right now all she wanted to do was go out and fight, prove to herself that last night had really made a difference.

Steeling herself, she walked out to her living room, picking up the phone. With a sharp inhale, she tensed, focusing on what she wanted to do. She was going to call Rue. She was going to ask her to team up. She was…Zoe blinked, realizing she had forgotten something. Rue hadn’t asked her to team up, just that she’d show her the ropes. Because of how much her sister had talked about teams, she had somehow lost track of that.

The tension left her shoulders. She’d been overthinking this. Suddenly, calling Rue didn’t seem like such a big decision anymore. Although…her sister had said that offering to show someone the ropes was a classic team-up offer. Maybe it would lead to Rue offering them to team up.

_If that ends up being the case…I’ve already made my decision._

She dialed Rue’s number.


End file.
